I smiled. “Thank you.”

Her eyes glossed over. “What are you doing later?”

“I rode into town with Tyler, actually,” I said, feeling guiltier with each word that came out of Paige’s mouth.

“Oh. Well … I could take you back. I have a car.”

“I’m on call, Paige. I’m really sorry.”

I could see the hurt all over her face, in the way she looked to the floor, the way her mouth twitched.

“You warned me, didn’t you?” She looked up. “I’ve been waiting for you this whole time and you told me not to. So stupid,” she said, shaking her head and looking away. She wiped her cheek quickly.

“Paige,” I said, reaching for her.

She pulled away. “There is only one person who’s a bigger whore than Tyler Maddox in this town.”

“Taylor?” Tyler said. I could hear the amusement in his voice, and my cheeks burned with anger.

“Me,” I said.

Paige laughed once. “You don’t even try to deny it. What does that feel like?”

“Pretty shitty,” I said. “Happy?”

Paige’s face crumbled, and an escaped tear fell down her cheek. “No. Not for a long time.” She stood and walked out, and I grabbed my pointless beer and took a long swig.

“Ignore her,” Tyler said.

“It’s not funny,” I snapped. “There is nothing funny about me using her and casting her aside like everyone else in her life.”

“Whoa. I’m sorry. I thought I was on your side.”

“You should go back to yours,” I said. “People get hurt over here.”

“You don’t scare me,” Tyler said, leaning in. “Stop being so damn stubborn. I’m good for you.”

“What if I’m bad for you?”

He tipped his bottle until it clinked against mine. “Just what I look for in a girl.”

I sighed. “I feel like I need to drink something stronger.”

“Just one?” Tyler asked. He wasn’t really offering, and I could see the patience in his eyes as he waited for me to make my own decision.

I considered his question, and then perched my elbows on the table, holding my head in my hands. “You’re right. I shouldn’t.”

“All right, time for us to head out.” Tyler stood, bringing me with him.

By the time we reached the alley, Tyler had already given me a cigarette from his black pack and was fishing for a lighter.

“What the hell?” Tyler said, stopping mid-step.

He was staring at the sky, and I retreated beneath his arm when a loud boom echoed across the sky like thunder. A rainbow of colors rained down, and I gasped. Another rocketed up, exploding in golden sparkles.

Tyler looked at his watch, pressing a button that ignited the face so he could see the date. “I’ll be damned.”

“July 4th? How did we miss that?”

“Shit, I’ve gotta call Trent. It’s his birthday.”